CAROL LINK: Sunroom makes excellent winter storage place for ferns

By Carol LinkSpecial to The Times

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 11:14 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 11:16 a.m.

Q: I enjoy your column in The Gadsden Times. How should I care for my Boston ferns to keep them alive and healthy throughout the winter? I repotted the ferns when I purchased them last spring and they appear quite healthy. Our unheated sunroom faces west, and I have a few heated areas where I can keep them inside my home.

A: The sunroom is a great place to store ferns for the winter. On days when the temperature drops below freezing, heat the sunroom slightly, or bring the ferns inside to a heated room. As soon as the temperature rises, remove the heat (or return the fern to the sunroom).

During the winter, if the fronds become brittle and brown, prune the fern back to within a few inches of the plant’s base. Throughout the winter, water the plant only when the soil feels dry.

In late February and early March, apply a water soluble fertilizer each time you water the fern. The plant will revitalize, grow rapidly and become beautiful again. Good luck, and thanks for writing.

Q: I have tea olives that bloom 6 or 7 times a year, even in the cold months. Is it OK to prune my tea olives after they finish blooming in November? Should I prune my camellias after they bloom, in November, December and/or January?

A: Pruning any shrub this late in the fall will encourage new growth that will be killed by the first freeze. If your plants are overgrown and need to be pruned, I suggest you wait until late February or early March to prune. Remember, pruning at that time may remove growth buds that have developed for the spring blooming cycle, but the plants will not be damaged.

If you lose the first round of spring flowers, growth buds will develop again for the following blooming cycle.

Q: When should an Encore azalea that blooms 3 times each year be pruned?

Q: My peony always had large beautiful blossoms until I moved it summer before last. The peony did not bloom last year. What did I do wrong?

A: Flower buds on an early blooming peony may be killed by a late winter or early spring freeze. A lack of nutrients, extreme heat and a lack of water may prevent the plant from blooming.

Peony roots should be planted shallowly, at about an inch in depth, in textured, nutritious soil. Water a peony on a regular basis. Cover the root system with mulch to retain moisture and to keep the plant’s roots system cool. Apply a slow release fertilizer in late winter.

Carol (Bonnie) Link is an Etowah County Master Gardener and an experienced garden writer. Her weekly column is designed to help and encourage others in their gardening endeavors. Send questions or comments to clink43@bellsouth.net.

<p>Q: I enjoy your column in The Gadsden Times. How should I care for my Boston ferns to keep them alive and healthy throughout the winter? I repotted the ferns when I purchased them last spring and they appear quite healthy. Our unheated sunroom faces west, and I have a few heated areas where I can keep them inside my home. </p><p>A: The sunroom is a great place to store ferns for the winter. On days when the temperature drops below freezing, heat the sunroom slightly, or bring the ferns inside to a heated room. As soon as the temperature rises, remove the heat (or return the fern to the sunroom).</p><p>During the winter, if the fronds become brittle and brown, prune the fern back to within a few inches of the plant's base. Throughout the winter, water the plant only when the soil feels dry.</p><p>In late February and early March, apply a water soluble fertilizer each time you water the fern. The plant will revitalize, grow rapidly and become beautiful again. Good luck, and thanks for writing.</p><p>Q: I have tea olives that bloom 6 or 7 times a year, even in the cold months. Is it OK to prune my tea olives after they finish blooming in November? Should I prune my camellias after they bloom, in November, December and/or January? </p><p>A: Pruning any shrub this late in the fall will encourage new growth that will be killed by the first freeze. If your plants are overgrown and need to be pruned, I suggest you wait until late February or early March to prune. Remember, pruning at that time may remove growth buds that have developed for the spring blooming cycle, but the plants will not be damaged.</p><p>If you lose the first round of spring flowers, growth buds will develop again for the following blooming cycle. </p><p>Q: When should an Encore azalea that blooms 3 times each year be pruned?</p><p>A: Prune Encore azaleas immediately after the spring blooming cycle ceases. </p><p>Q: My peony always had large beautiful blossoms until I moved it summer before last. The peony did not bloom last year. What did I do wrong?</p><p>A: Flower buds on an early blooming peony may be killed by a late winter or early spring freeze. A lack of nutrients, extreme heat and a lack of water may prevent the plant from blooming.</p><p>Peony roots should be planted shallowly, at about an inch in depth, in textured, nutritious soil. Water a peony on a regular basis. Cover the root system with mulch to retain moisture and to keep the plant's roots system cool. Apply a slow release fertilizer in late winter.</p>
<p class="italic font120">Carol (Bonnie) Link is an Etowah County Master Gardener and an experienced garden writer. Her weekly column is designed to help and encourage others in their gardening endeavors. Send questions or comments to clink43@bellsouth.net.</p>